Sergio Perez 'very happy,' uncertain about F1 future

Sergio Perez's downfall at Red Bull was swift, but it has not taken the Mexican star long to find peace as he considers his next career move.

Perez signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull last June, but parted ways with the Formula 1 team just six months later following a poor second half of the 2024 season that saw him finish eighth in the driver's standings.

Perez wanted to keep his seat with Red Bull for a fifth season, but the team decided to sign 22-year-old Liam Lawson to pair with four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Perez reportedly was offered an ambassador-type role with the F1 team, but he opted to walk away from his contract.

Less than a month later, Perez said he is in a "dream position" as he considers his next career move.

"I'm very happy with my life, very excited about what's ahead," he said at the Leon State Fair in Mexico, per Racer.com.

"For sure, if I receive a good, interesting (F1) project, then I'll definitely consider it and think about it. It will all come in its own time. For now, my priority in the months ahead is to have fun, do what I haven't been able to, travel, be with my family...

"In the next six months I'll make a decision on what I want for the next step of my career."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said at the time that it was Perez's decision to take a break from F1, but the driver said that was not the case.

"Everything happened very quickly at the end of the season, so I didn't expect it," said Perez, who turns 35 this month.

After pursuing his F1 dream since he was 6 years old and spending the past 14 years living it out, Perez said he is enjoying the increased freedom in his schedule. While the 20 F1 drivers are hard at work preparing for the 2025 season, which begins in mid-March with the Australian Grand Prix, Perez is spending time with family and friends.

"It's incredible, especially at this time of year when you're already thinking about the season and you can't do anything anymore," he said. "It's really cool because I've been doing this all my life.

"This is my first year since I can remember where I can decided what to do. It can be different plans, I can go (somewhere), I can confirm a trip, I can go with my family and my children wherever I want. So the truth is it's something that I'm enjoying a lot, and I'm really looking forward to what's coming this year.

"The truth is that I am very calm, very happy, enjoying time with my children a lot, with my family, with my friends. And I think that I'm finally going to travel because in all these years I've traveled all over the world, but without knowing it. And so now I'm really looking forward to traveling, to getting to know different places, to do things that I haven't done for a long time."

Perez has recorded six wins and 39 podium finishes since making his F1 debut in 2011. His most recent victory came at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

--Field Level Media